ROAD TO ZERO


Vivaro-e Hydrogen to join Vauxhall's electric line


Vauxhall has announced the Vivaro-e Hydro- gen, an electric van with a range of 249 miles and a refuelling time of around three minutes. Based on the Vivaro-e electric van, the hydro- gen model will have a fuel cell in the engine bay, with three 700-bar gas tanks replacing the bat- tery packs of the standard electric van beneath the load fl oor. The 45kW fuel cell will work with a smaller 10.5kWh battery, located under the front seats, providing peak power when required. This bat- tery will be powered by regenerative braking and can be plugged in, to provide up to 31 miles of pure EV travel. The fuel cell and battery will not have any impact on the load area of the vans.


Available in both the standard and long wheel- base bodies, the vans will retain their 5.3m3 6.1m3


load volumes respectively. The vans will be available in left-hand drive


by the end of this year. Right-hand drive mod- els are expected early in 2023. “Vauxhall is already leading the way with an all-electric van range and now we are set to add hydrogen to the line-up as an effi cient energy system of the future,” said managing director Paul Willcox. “We are already in contact with UK fl eet oper- ators that want to go the extra mile on sustain- ability and we look forward to bringing the Vi- varo-e Hydrogen to the UK soon.”


Mahle Powertrain moves into hydrogen


Mahle Powertrain has assisted Bramble Energy with the creation of a delivery vehicle demonstrator, to show off its Printed Circuit Board Fuel Cell (PCBFC) technology. The Renault Kangoo Z.E. electric van, to be unveiled later this year, will use a high power density liquid-cooled fuel cell. “We’re excited to be working with


Mahle Powertrain on this integra- tion project and to be so close to showcasing the benefi ts of our PCB- FC technology in a liquid-cooled application,” said Dr Tom Mason, Bramble’s CEO.


“Delivery of this project will be a milestone moment for both Bram- ble Energy and net-zero CV power- trains and we cannot wait to demon- strate the tangible performance and cost benefi ts to the CV industry.”


and


Training to transition


LONG TERM TEST


Citroën e-Dispatch 20 VANUSER • JUNE 2021


know that a heavy right foot on a dual carriageway will see the available range dropping far faster than it will in a diesel van. Yet, I have also seen that potential range fi gure rise, following stop/start travel through the centre of town. In a recent bit of research for an article, I also discov- ered just how vital driver training will be, as fl eets tran- sition from diesel to electric. But are there any EV-specif- ic van or truck training outlets available yet? Do let me know if you offer such a service.


S


This concentration on the EV bits of the van often over- shadows just how good the actual Dispatch is, regardless of drivetrain. A recent bit of fence replacement meant pur- chasing some 3m long posts. Much to the amazement of the


builders’ merchant, opening the Moduwork hatch in the bulkhead and lifting the left-hand passenger seat allowed the posts to fi t easily through into the footwell. Brilliant!


o much of the discussion around our Citroën e-Dis- patch is about range. Can it really do 205 miles on a single charge? I’ve never actually needed to. I do


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